Inhaler.



N6. 666,476. PATENTED JULY 16, 1907. J. w. BURNER.

INHALER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.'8, 1907.

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JACOB W. HORNER, OF COLUMBUS, INDIANA.

INHALER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1.907.

Application filed February 8, 1907. Seriaf No. 356.358.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB W. Homme, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Columbus7 in the county of Bartholomew and State ofIndiana, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Inhalers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in inhalers for the administration ofnitrous oxid gas or other gases; and the invention consists in certainnovel constructions and combinations of parts as will be hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

4 In the drawing-Figure l is a face view of an inhaler embodying myinvention, the cover plate or hood be- .ing removed. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal section of the invention as in use. Fig. 3 is across section on about line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a cross sectionon about line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

The inhaler as shown is especially designed for using gas under highpressure, directly from a cylinder charged with gas in a liquid form,facilitating the use of such gas directly from the cylinder withoutemploying a gasometer or gas bag as is now commonly practieed. i

By my invention l seek to provide together with other improvements, anovel construction whereby the gas may be administered through the noseor through the mouth or both and whereby to avoid a constant flow of gaswhile the patient is exhaling, as in the operation of many inhalers allthe gas supplied during exhalation is wasted and the only gas utilizedis that which flows during the time the patient is inhaling. In carryingout this feature of my invention I provide the inhaler with valves soconstructed and arranged that during exhalation the supply of gas isautomatically cut olf and during inhalation it is automatically openedor restablished, thus avoiding waste of gas and resulting in aconsiderable saving to a busy operator.

n the construction shown the inhaler has an ordinary inhaler body A,which may be generally of the ordinary construction and is connectedwith one end of a tube B which may be of metal or other suitablematerial. The body A has an outlet or exhaust port a which is controlledby a valve D preferably in the form of a large disk to give ample areafor the air pl'essure from the patient in exhaling. This valve has adepending tubular portion D/ operating within the cylindrical seat l ofthe exhaust port and provided between its ends with openings 2 throughwhich the exhaled air and gas may discharge when the valve is raised tothe position indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 3. In this position theexhaled air and gas will pass out through the ports 2 into the hood orcasing L from which it may discharge through suitable openings L as willbe understood from Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing. This valve D is guidedby suitable pins ,Daud is carried on the long arm Cf of a lever C, whichis piveted at C2 as shown in Figs. l and 2 and has its short armprovided with means for Controlling the inlet valve;

In securing a control of the feed of gas by the pressure of the patientsbreath in exhaling, I find it desirable in overcoming the high pressureof the gas to utilize the force of the lever by supporting the exhaustvalve on the large arm of the level' and operating the feed valve fromthe short arm of the lever and also to multiply the area of the exhaustvalve relatively to that of the feed valve many times in order to securethe advantage of such variation in area. The short arm C" ofthe lever Coperates the feed valve', which controls the passage of gas to thenose-piece or body A of the inhaler. As shown the short arm C of thelever is arranged to directly operate a pin C" connected with the leverat C5 suitably guided in a bearing C below the short arm of the leverand adapted to pass through an opening in a cover plate C7 overlying aflexible diaphragm or plate E, which forms the valve controlling thefeed port and is adapted to be closed by the pin C4 against the saidport to shut off the passage of gas. This feed port F is incommunication with a pipe G leading to the gas holder and feeds the gasto the tube B and thence to the nosepiece or body of the inhaler. In theconstruction shown the feed port F is at the inner end of a pipe F olsmall diameter extending wit-hin the tube B and communicating at itsouter end with the supply tube G and forming the only passage for thegas to the inhaler. The inner end of this tube extends within arelatively enlarged chamber II and opens within said chamber which formsa channel or by-pass for the gas to the interior of the tube B and alsopermits the play of the flexible diaphragm forming the feed valve asbefore described.

The tube B, forming a gas chamber, is provided between the feed port andthe body A and preferably adjacent to the latter with a check valve bopening into the nose-piece A during the act of inhaling and closing bythe pressure of breath in exhalation, as will be understood from Fig. lof the drawing.

In the operation of the described construction it will be noticed thatthe flexible diaphragm moves outwardly under the pressure of thesupplied gas under ordinary circumstances and may be depressed by theoperation of the pin C when the lever C is rocked by the outwardmovement of the valve D as the patient exhales, the reverse operationbeing true during inhalation. The short arm of the lever may be weightedat 4, see Figs. l and 2, to aid its operation whenever desired.

Some patients because of obstruction in the nose experience difficultyin inhaling properly through the nose and it is sometimes desirable toadminister the anesthetic both through the nose and mouth and Itherefore prefer to provide means for conducting the gas to the mouthand to construct the same as best shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. In thisconstruction a pipe I taps the inhaler tube B at a point between themouth-piece and the feed valve and leads thence to a point below thebody A and opens at I through a plate J to which is pivotedeccentrically to the port I a drum K having a port K which may be turnedinto and out of register with the port I as will be understood iromFigs.2 and 4 and from this drum projects a tube K? which may enter the mouthof a patient when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2, inwhich position the ports Kl and I will register and gas will be suppliedthrough the rocking mouth-piece or the mouth-piece may be turned to thedotted position shown in Fig. 2 when it is not desired to administer gasto the mouth and when so adjusted the ports K/ and I/ will be adjustedout of register and cut off the supply of gas through the parts K andK2. Any suitable packing may be provided at K3 to prevent waste of gasbetween the parts .l and K.

StrapsM may be connected with the inhaler for securing the same upon thehead of a patient.

It will be understood that in operation the mouthpiece K2 will offer nosubstantial obstruction to the manipulation of forceps within the mouthoi the patient so that the operation of extracting may go on during theadministration of the anesthetic and also that the mouth-piece may bethrown from the position shown in full lines Fig. 2 to the dotted lineposition indicated in the same figure, when it is desired to shut offthe administration of the anesthetic through the mouth or move themouth-piece entirely out of the way.

I claim- 1. An inhaler comprising a nose-piece, a tube extendingtherefrom, a feed tube extending within said rst tube and open at itsinner end, a chamber being provided surrounding said opening, a flexiblediaphragm extending over said chamber' opposite the open end of the feedtube, a cover plate overlying said diaphragm and perforated in line withvthe open discharge end of the feed tube, a pin arranged to pass throughsaid opening in the cover plate to operate the flexible diaphragm, alever having a short arm operating said pin and a long arm and anexhaust valve connected therewith and arranged for operation by thepressure of the patients breath in exhaling, a mouth tube, a drum orchamber in communication therewith and having an inlet port, a plate towhich said drum is pivoted eccentrically to its inlet port and having aport with which the inlet port ofthe chamber may be registered, a pipe-for conducting gas to the port in said plate, said pipe connecting withand receiving itsl supply from the tube in connection with thenose-piece, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An inhaler having a nose-piece, a tube extending therefrom, a feedport in communication with the tube, an exhaust port in communicationwith the nosepiece, feed and exhaust valves controlling their respectiveports, a lever for operating said valves, a mouth pipe adjustablyconnected with the nose-piece whereby it may be shifted into and out ofposition to deliver the gas to the mouth of a patient, a pipe forconducting gas to the mouth pipe and means operated by the movement ofthe mouth pipe for establishing and cutting oif communication with itssupply pipe, substantially as set forth.

3. An inhaler comprising a nose-piece having an exhaust or exhalingport, means connected with said nose-piece and having a feed port fordelivery of gas thereto, a lever having. one arm provided with a valvecontrolling the exhaust port from the nose-piece and a valve operated bythe other arin' of the lever and controlling the passage of gas to themouth-piece substantially as set forth.

4. An inhaler having a feed port and an exhaust port, a valvecontrolling the feed port and consisting of a flexible diaphragm,a-valve controlling the exhaust port and a lever extending between saidvalves, and a pin operated from the short arm.of said lever and arrangedwhen de pressed to press the diaphragmatic feed valve against its port,substantially as set forth.

5. An inhaler having a tube, a diaphragm supported by the tube andforming a feed valve, a feed port opposite said diaphragm and meanswhereby said diaphragm may be closed upon the feed port by the pressureof a patients breath in exhalation, substantially as set forth.

6. An inhaler having a feed port, a diaphragm opposite said feed portand movable in closed position against the same, a pin whereby to pressthe diaphragm against the feed port, a lever having a long and a shortarm and having its short arm arranged to operate the said pin foroperating the diaphragm, and a valve in connection with the long arm ofthe lever and arranged to be operated by the air pressure of a patient'sbreath in exhaling, substantially as set forth.

T. An inhaler comprising a body having an exhaust port, a tubeprojecting from'said body, a check-valve in connection with said tube, afeed port opening into the tube,

a valve controlling said feed port, a valve controlling theV exhaustport from the body, intermediate devices between the said exhaust andfeed valves whereby they may be operated relatively, means fordelivering gas to the mouth of a patient and ,a pipe in connection withsaid means and connected with the tube in advance of the check valve ofthe latter, substantially as set forth.

8. An inhaler having a nose-piece, a mouth piece connected movably withthe nose-piece, means for conducting gas to the mouth-piece, a feedport, an exhaust port, an exhaust valve arranged to be operated by theair pressure of a patient's breath in exhaling, a feed valve, andintermediate devices between the feed valve and exhaust valve.

9. An inhaler comprising a nose-piece having an exhaust port, a tubeprojecting from the nose-piece, a feed port opening into said tube, avalve controlling said feed port, a valve controlling the exhaust portof the nose-piece, intermediate devices between said valves, acheck-valve controlling the connection of the nose-piece with the tubeprojecting therefrom, a mouth-piece, a pipe for supplying saidmouth-piece and connected with the tube in advance of said check valveand means for controlling the discharge of gas from said pipe to themouth-piece, substantially as set forth.

10. An inhaler having means for administering gas to the nose and meansfor administering gas to the mouth, and means arranged to be operated byair pressure of a patients breath in exhaling whereby to cut oft thepassage of gas to both said administering means.

'11. An inhaler having a nose-piece, a mouth-piece, a gas chamber inconnection with both the nose-piece and mouth-piece, a checklvalvebetween the nose-piece and said chamber,l a feed valve controlling thepassage of gasto the gas chamber' and means for automatically closingthe feed valve by the air pressure of a patients breath in exhaling.

l2. An inhaler, comprising a body having a feed port, a valvecontrolling the feed port, and means whereby the said valve may beclosed by the pressure of the'patients breath during exhalation toprevent waste of gas at such time.

JACOB W. HORNER.Y

Witnesses:

SoLoN C. KnMoN, PERRY B. Tunturi.

